Nick Saban Staying Put at Alabama

Updated at 4:11 am, January 9th, 2013

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.) — After winning their third national title in four years, Nick Saban is set on staying with the Crimson Tide, rather than venturing into the NFL again.

Saban watched his team shut down the No. 1 Irish on Monday with a 42-14 win in Miami to claim his fourth national title of his career, but put questions about him returning to the NFL to bed.

“How many times do you think I’ve been asked to put it to rest?” Saban said on Tuesday. “And I’ve put it to rest, and you continue to ask it. So I’m going to say it today, that — you know, I think somewhere along the line you’ve got to choose. You learn a lot from the experiences of what you’ve done in the past.”

Saban coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2005-2006) and went 15-17, suffering his first losing season as a head coach in 2006 when Miami went 6-10.

“I came to the Miami Dolphins, what, eight years ago for the best owner, the best person that I’ve ever had the opportunity to work for? And in the two years that I was here, had a very, very difficult time thinking that I could impact the organization in the way that I wanted to or the way that I was able to in college,” he said, “and it was very difficult for me.”

Instead, Saban will now look to continue the Alabama dynasty with his quarterback A.J. McCarron returning for another season along with All-American linebacker C.J. Mosley.